Simon Cowell, a judge on Britain's Got Talent, took a playful swipe at Jeremy Clarkson during the latest semi-final episode. The Hawkstone Farmers Choir, founded by the former Top Gear host, performed a rendition of Bastille's Pompeii and secured their place in the final. However, Cowell could not resist a cheeky dig at Clarkson, calling him 'smug' in a lighthearted manner.
The Hawkstone Farmers Choir's Journey
The choir, consisting of 34 British farmers, was formed by Clarkson after he scoured the country to find farmers willing to collaborate on advertisements aimed at saving pubs and farms. Earlier this year, the group auditioned for Britain's Got Talent and earned Amanda Holden's Golden Buzzer with a performance of Elbow's One Day Like This, propelling them directly to the semi-finals. During that audition, member Katrina explained that Clarkson himself had established the choir, which is sponsored by Hawkstone Brewery, a business co-owned by Clarkson in the Cotswolds.
Clarkson's Emotional Response
At the time of the Golden Buzzer moment, a visibly emotional Clarkson thanked Holden, saying: 'It shows that people quite like farmers. They were very, very good, well done all of you. I'm a very happy man tonight.'
Semi-Final Performance and Cowell's Comments
In the last semi-final, the 32-member choir performed Bastille's Pompeii and successfully advanced to the final. After their performance, Cowell addressed the group, stating: 'You're not a professional choir, however I love what you stand for. It might be quite annoying to see Jeremy Clarkson's smug face, that's the only downside. He's a friend of mine. However more importantly this is about you and you did brilliantly well, congratulations.' While Cowell's remarks contained a hint of criticism, it was clearly intended as banter between friends.
Clarkson's Celebration
Overjoyed by the choir's success, Clarkson filmed a short video at Farm Fest alongside his partner Kaleb Cooper. The duo congratulated the singers in front of a cheering crowd, celebrating the achievement.
